"By threatening Iran, we only help its rulers keep the wavering support of their people..." As I'm agnostic about how to deal with Teheran, I enjoyed Peter Hitchens' thought-provoking account [via Iain Dale] of his recent visit to the country. Two things struck me, however. First, is it really true, as Hitchens claims right in his opening par, that the West has been casting around for an enemy ever since the demise of the Evil Empire? I've heard nuttier types on the fringes make that remark many times, but I'm surprised to find him agreeing with them. Secondly, I couldn't help noticing that he seems much more understanding about the shortcomings of life under the mullahs than he is about Britain, where civilization as we know it came to an end some time last Wednesday.
Still, it's a piece worth pondering. As for John McCain's recent quip about dropping bombs (sung to the tune of the Beach Boys' Barbara Ann), well, what is there to say?
"the West has been casting around for an enemy": didn't we elect the Serbs?
Posted by: dearieme | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 07:01 PM
Sounds like a great country. I am still not certain why there is so much animosity other than the Lebanon and Iraq issues. It would be a pity to watch what happened if the regime did build and use nuclear weapons to wipe a certain state off the map.
I don't think it would be wise to bomb or invade and I doubt that anyone in the government expects an invasion in the near future (Hersh is full of it). I do hope that if a war does start the Iranians show up to fight from the very start though.
Posted by: mikek | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 03:29 AM